Vladimir Yemelyanov, local minister for natural resources and environment, and Andrei Kogtev, chief federal inspector for the Samara region, have made official statements to the effect, their press services report.
They stressed that the situation at the Balakovskaya nuclear power station posed no threat to people's health.
On Friday, reports about an emergency at the Balakovskaya nuclear power station of Saratov region aroused a lot of panic. Local residents warn their friends and relatives against getting outdoors or opening their windows. Some schools cancelled classes. As self-assistance, Samara residents began to take iodine.
The authorities, rescuers and environmentalists say there is no reason for panic.
According to the radiometric network of the Volga region department for hydrometeorology and environment monitoring, the level of background gamma radiation is normal and within 10-14 micro roentgen per hour.
According to the Samara meteo-station, the gamma background accounts for 11 micro roentgen per hour and the overall radiation level is within the norm. Regular observations at meteo-stations will be conducted every three hours.
The federal service for consumer rights and human well-being has also confirmed that the radiation situation in the area of the nuclear power station in Balakov and Saratov is normal. "The information of some media about an accident at the Balakovskaya nuclear power station in the Saratov region do not correspond to reality," the press service of the department reported.
According to the federal medical and biological agency and the state sanitary and epidemiological inspection centre of the Saratov region, on Tuesday, November 2, training was held at the Balakovskaya nuclear power station to drillcoordinated efforts of all the subdivisions in case of an accident.
The department's reports said that a power unit had been suspended for regular repair of the feedwater pipeline of a steam generator.
Earlier, senior engineer of the Balakovskaya nuclear power station Viktor Ignatov said that on Thursday, November 4, pure deionised water for steam generators of the second power unit was found leaking. As a result, the power unit was stopped for pipeline repair.
He also said that the pipeline had been fixed, and a superior organisation and the state nuclear supervision agency authorised its launching.
